Insomnia (1994)

Another great read by Stephen King.

And again too long ago to really write a proper review but I do highly recommend it.

The book starts of slow but the characters are great and it gets better and better once you start to get what is going on.
It is also very related to he Dark Tower series (which I love)
Another one I am going to re-read in English on my kindle soon. ( )

I liked Insomnia a lot. I was quite surprised by the older protagonists, although of course there are things which compensate for their age. It wasn't a bad surprise, either. I thought it might be harder to relate to Ralph and Lois because of it, but it ended up not really being a problem at all. The most fascinating character for me, though, was Ed Deepneau. It was interesting how he kept the photo with him until the very end.

I loved a lot of the imagery that ran throughout this -- the auras, the "deathwatch", the "balloon strings". The Clotho/Lachesis/Atropos triad was a very, very interesting plot point. I love references to mythology. And the trade Ralph makes to save Nat breaks my heart a little, and is a lovely way to end things.

It's also interesting to see all the links between this and other Stephen King books. I'm guessing that a large amount of the references were to The Dark Tower, which convinces me that it's probably time to start reading those. ( )

Second in the Derry trilogy. I felt there was a good story here, King just missed it by trying too hard. The Greek mythological aspect is more successful than in Rose Madder, though the Dark Tower tie-in las act is mystifying. ( )

I first read this book several years ago, and loved it. I loved the characters, the story line, the slow build-up, and the ending.

I enjoy this book on a lot of levels: the characters, the real-world issues such as women's rights, specifically focusing on abortion rights, but without taking a side. I enjoy the ties to the Dark Tower series and King's universe, as well as the mythical tidbits (the weird sisters Clothos, Lachesis, and Atropos, but in a new incarnation) thrown in with the supernatural aural world.

The characters really feel like real people to me. King is good at this, but in this one, he was writing something that he wasn't actually familiar with - old age.

I love Ralph's courage and his sometimes snarky comments when faced with danger. I also respect his ability to just accept the majority of what life hands him and move on, unless he feels that he is being taken advantage of. He's stubborn as a mule then, no matter the cost.

Overall, I really enjoy this book. But, I do have to say that one thing rather annoyed me on this second reading. I mentioned before that Ralph just kind of rolls with the punches and takes the majority of life as it comes, but during the course of the story, he and Lois ask a LOT of questions. This in and of itself isn't a problem. If they didn't ask, the reader would be, but my issue is with the way they ask. Too many of their questions are rhetorical, or statements phrased as questions. IE: "We're in the library, aren't we?" or "It's 4 o'clock, isn't it?" Really? Just say, "We're in the library." or "It's 4 o'clock."

This happens so much during the book that I ALMOST knocked a star off of my previous rating. I decided to let it ride though, because I really enjoy the rest of the story. Plus, I suppose it does help tell the story, but it could definitely be improved.

Finally, I read another review in which the reviewer felt jipped by the fact that Insomnia's central plot tied in with the ending of the Dark Tower series. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but this book was written over a decade before the ending of the Dark Tower series. All of King's works play off of each other in some way. I happen to enjoy that aspect, some don't. I would recommend giving it a shot before writing this book off. ( )

When Ralph Roberts begins experiencing insomnia after the death of his wife, he begins to perceive other planes of reality and is eventually recruited to battle agents of the forces of Dark.

I do think this book is overwritten and drags some in the middle, but I love it regardless for many reasons. It is the first book post-It to be set in Derry, and I love revisiting that twisted little town. It also introduces many key concepts that will be further explored in the Dark Tower series, including the levels of the Tower and the Crimson King. Once it starts racing toward the final climax, Insomnia becomes very suspenseful and will not release the reader from its grip.

First read upon its release (1994) because I like the author; reread at least once. ( )